Tag Archives: healthy

When one goes gluten-free, I think that the amount of rice consumed by said person exploses. Like, missile high. Scratch that,atmosphere galaxy high. Whether it’s in restaurants (looks like we’ll be having sushi tonight, no wheat!) or at home (rice flour is now king), I can’t really say too much of anything is ever good for you. Unless you’re fiercely in love, or writing a book, then putting an abnormal time into that thing is probably a good thing, but with rice? eh. Not sending rockets in my emotional hemisphere.

In fact, it might be. Rice is a grain that is gluten-free, and of course just fine in moderation, but that is also acidic in nature (which we consume too much of in general), and contains sugars. There are many health problems that stem from too much sugar and acidity in the stomach, from ulcers to bacterial overgrowths to straight up diabetes. What’s more, if you’re cooking with white rice, or refined rice flour, you may be cutting out gluten, but wouldn’t it be cool to give your taste buds (and stomach) a break?

Yeahhhhh totally would.

So! Tonight I had a little experiment at my humble abode… I made a kinda-sushi-roll. But! instead of seaweed on the outside I used avocado, instead of rice I used cooked millet, and instead of raw fish I used smoked salmon. I think you’ll dig it. Enjoy:

inverted avocado millet kinda-sushi

1 avocado, cut into thin slices

1/2 cup cooked millet*

2 slices smoked salmon (organic if you can find!), or vegetarian protein of choice

optional 8 thin slices green onion, cooked or raw

–

preparation time: 8 minutes

serves 1-2

1. Cover a cutting board with plastic film. Lay out avocado slices in a vertical line with little overlap.

2. Lay out the cooked millet in a thin layer to cover just half of the avocado length-wise. (see image.) You can also add your onions if you’d like here.

3. Add smoked salmon, thinly sliced, in the middle. Take the plastic film in two hands on the side of the millet. Fold it over the top of the ingredients as you would making a burrito. When the plastic reaches the other plastic, as in it rolls on top of itself, pull it snug like you would a burrito. Then, roll the entire roll over the plastic to seal it in. Make sure it’s tightly wrapped!

4. You can either cut the rolls with the plastic on if your knife is on the not-so-sharp side, or if your knife is running on all gears, cut it directly and transfer to the serving plate with a spatula.

*of course, you can use rice if you’d like. Just a suggestion, and something that tasted good. :)

You know how when you have sushi and it doesn’t taste like just rice and seaweed and raw fish? Yeah, that’s probably the reason we keep eating it, because as appetizing as the thought of eating an ocean soaked in China’s starch staple sounds, it’s not.

Sushi can either be refined art, think Jiro Dreams of Sushi, or something as casual as a taco cart. The problem with eating at Japanese restaurants for those with Celiac Disease is that soy sauce is made with wheat traditionally, and most preparations might have a touch of it as it replaces salt in most Asian cuisines. The problem with making sushi at home, then, would be that rice cooked in just water never seems to taste like “sushi rice” and finding sushi grade quality fish may not be possible in your area.

The thing is, making gluten-free sushi at home is really quite easy. What’s more, you know the products you’re using are to your standards (because you bought them) and you have creative liberty to replace salmon with tofu if you’re vegetarian, or add some fun flavors like mango and cilantro if you’re seeking some peppppps.

The other day I have rice and leftover dried seaweed from an experiment a few weeks prior. I had leftover bits and pieces of smoked salmon, and no interest to go grocery shopping. I had forgotten how much I love the convenience (and price tag) of making sushi at home. The difference, for me, is in the rice.

Method: Bring 1 1/2 cups water to boil. Lightly salt water, add rice, stir just once, skim foam off top using a spoon, cover, and reduce heat to low to simmer for about 30-35 minutes. Once water is absorbed, taste rice to make sure it is cooked enough. If not, add about 2 tbs. more water, cover, and let steam another 5-10 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is cooked al dente. Remove from heat. Keep covered. In small sauce pan, bring 1/4 cup water, vinegar and agave nectar to a boil. Let bubble about 30 seconds, remove from heat. Whisk in wasabi powder (optional, but recommended). Using a large flat spoon, stir syrup into cooked rice gently. This gentle stirring serves two purposes: it covers the rice in flavor and it also gently releases the starches while it slowly cools down the rice for optimal texture and binding properties. Let rice cool to room temperature before using it in your sushi.

Great. I’ve got my rice. WhaaadooIdoooNow? You get to play with your food! Maki Sushi refers to the type where the seaweed is on the outside. This type is really convenient to make at home, as you don’t even need a sushi rolling mat or plastic sheet wrap.

Method: Lay dried seaweed flat on a clean cutting board. Cover all of it with a thin layer of sushi rice, leaving about 1″ (3 cm) gap at one of the ends (see photo at the top). On the opposite side of the seaweed, 2″ (6 cm) in from the edge lay out your toppings. Ready to roll? Gently brush a tiny bit of water on the edge of the sushi not covered with rice (this serves as glue). Like rolling up a sleeping bag, start with the rice-covered side and cover the filling. Keep going, and as you completely roll your filling into the rice and seaweed, pull so that it’s snug and compact. Roll until it touches the other end, where you will press slightly firmly to seal the dry sushi to the wet sushi, where the added water will act like glue. To serve, using a sharp chef’s knife, cut into desired piece sizes and serve with tamari, pickled ginger, and wasabi if you’ve got it.

If you wanna get fun, try difference variations, like using last night’s fried chicken with a touch of tamari to give it some Asian flavor. Making your own sushi may take a few practice rounds to see the exact amount of rice vs. filling, but you can always start over and reuse your rice and protein. Dried seaweed is cheap as Monday, so don’t feel bad if you waste a few sheets in your trials.

Living here in France and shopping for gluten-free products, I have noticed something that I had never seen in the states: a warning for products containing lupin.Given that if there is an allergenic warning for an ingredient I am probably allergic to it, I have avoided the mysterious ingredient haunting the various packaged gluten-free baguette flecking my organic neighborhood stores.

I decided to give it some research to see what exactly this coy “allergen” is, and here’s what I found:

Lupin allergies are strongly correlated with peanut allergies!

Good thing I haven’t tried it.

Lupin is a flowering plant in the legume family. Its beans have been used for centuries, starting with the Romans. Currently, they are common culinary ingredients in the cuisine of Portugal, Egypt, Greece, and Italy, and Brazil. They are eaten as salted snacks, as well as in meal and pastry preparations. Lupin is high in fiber, protein, and antioxidants, and low in starch and completely gluten-free.

Then why is there a warning label that products may contain lupin?

Evidently, if you have a peanut allergy, the risk of you having a lupin allergy is very common. That’s why in 2006 the European Commission mandated that any food products containing lupin be labeled with a warning.

What’s more, the “Lupin Challenge” is using the reactivity of the legume to further research on allergies.

“Gaining knowledge on lupin’s specific molecular allergy will contribute to strategies to improve clinical trials, allergy diagnosis, and breeding allergenic-reduce lupin lines,” says Dr Jiménez-López. “And beyond this three-year project, the longer-term development and commercialisation of patented diagnosis kits and allergy vaccines, based on the results from this project, could also have important economic and social benefits.”

I have to say that as long as I make the baked good from scratch, I have very little guilt about eating it. Even if it is a baguette at midnight.

I was inspired today after stopping in at Noglu, a 100% gluten-free restaurant in Paris with everything from burgers to pastries. It’s no surprise they are expanding to a new takeaway location– they produce some killer looking gluten-free goodies.

Anyways, a simple shout-out to Noglu Paris and a thank you for inspiring me to make a gluten-free baguette ce soir. The Bubble Child cookbook will be released soon, so keep your eyes out for it to get my bread recipes. : )